JAMMU :  Condemning the resolution of the Pakistan National Assembly on the execution of Afzal Guru, Opposition parties today resorted to protests and staged a walkout from the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
As the House assembled today, BJP, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) and Jammu State Morcha (JSM) MLAs stood up from their benches and held protests against the resolution.
Jugal Kishore, Ashok Khajuria of BJP, Harsh Dev Singh of KNPP and Ashwani Sharma of JSM brought the issue to the notice of Deputy Speaker, who was in chair, and demanded discussion over the issue and resolution against it.
“We condemn Pak resolution–Pakistan is interfering in the internal affairs of India, and by passing this resolution, it (Pakistan) has given its stamp of approval to the terrorist attack on Indian Parliament. This also indicates that Pakistan was behind that attack,” Leader of BJP Legislative Party Ashok Khajuria said.
As Deputy Speaker Sartaj Mandi turned down their demand saying the matter cannot be discussed as it is a issue of another country, opposition members created uproar and later staged a walkout from the house.
Pakistan’s parliament yesterday passed a resolution condemning the hanging of Afzal Guru and demanded the return of his body to his family.
Guru was hanged to death on February 9 after remaining on death row for about eight years. (AGENCIES)

SRINAGAR, Mar 15:  Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra was today briefed about overall security situation in the Kashmir valley, including on Line of Control (LoC),where snow had started melting on infiltration  routes.

Official sources said here today that Lt Gen Om Prakash, GOC Chinar Corps called on Mr Vohra at Raj Bhavan here today.

The meeting came at a time when the situation is tense in the Kashmir valley, where five CRPF personnel were killed and six others were wounded in a fidayeen attack in broad day light in Srinagar on March 13 and a ruling National Conference (NC) worker died in security force firing in the down town city, evoking massive protests, forcing authorities to impose curfew.

Sources said that during an hour long meeting, the Governor and the Lt Gen Prakash discussed various issues relating to internal and external security management.

The GOC also briefed about the existing security situation in the Valley.

They also discussed the measures taken to prevent infiltration from across the LoC following the melting of stone on higher reaches.

There was also report that the militants who carried out fidayeen attack on CRPF camp had recently infiltrated from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK).(AGENCIES)

SRINAGAR :  CRPF has removed two of its oldest bunkers from the interior city of Srinagar as part of a regular exercise to reduce the presence of the security force where it is no longer required, officials said today.
“CRPF has removed two bunkers from Eidgah area in Srinagar after a security review,” PRO CRPF, Sudhir Kumar told.
The bunkers were set up in 1990’s. They were first occupied by Army, then BSF and subsequently by CRPF.
With the removal of these two bunkers, the total number of such posts removed from the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir has touched 46 in the last two-and-a-half years.
The PRO said no “formal orders” were issued to remove the bunkers and the removal was done after a routine security review.
“There were no orders. It is part of a routine review exercise which CRPF and civil administration undertake regularly,” Kumar said.
As part of the recommendations of the All Party delegation, which visited Kashmir Valley at the peak of 2010 summer unrest, the government started the process of removal of bunkers from various parts of the city. The aim is to reduce the foot-prints of security forces from areas where they are no longer required. (AGENCIES)

NEW DELHI :  The time is “not right” for the removal of AFSPA  from Jammu and Kashmir, Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh said today emphasising that any decision on this  “should not be politicised”.
“We only make recommendations. If I was to be asked, I would say that the time is not right at the moment to tamper with this enabling act. We should not take away AFSPA at this juncture,” he said when asked to comment on the issue.
The Army Chief, who was speaking at the ‘India Today’ conclave was asked to comment on Union Minister Farooq Abdullah’s demand for repeal of the AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) from the state.
There have been similar demands voiced by his son and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, other political leaders and separatists in the valley.
“It is important to observe the situation and it is important to understand the security contours of the situation before we take a decision. The decision should be a pragmatic one, it should be in national interest and it should not be politicised,” he said.
Gen Singh said the Indian Army was working for strengthening the hands of the State Government and the day it feels it can handle the situation on its own, “then period. Go ahead”.
The Army Chief observed that the terror infrastructure across the Line of Control (LoC) was still intact.  One of the terrorists killed in the Tuesday attack on CRPF troops in Srinagar  was of Pakistani origin and a number of external factors were “impinging” on the security environment in the State, he said.
“This decision (on AFSPA) has to be taken in the backdrop of violence profile, in the backdrop of what can happen in future, in the backdrop of futuristic contours. We have to be very confident that it does not relapse. We shall not be left in a position of disadvantage,” Gen Singh said.
On suggestions that the Army was not listening to the Government on the issue as Finance Minister had stated that the Government wants the law to go but Army has objections on it, he said, “If a decision is taken by the Government, we are ready to relocate.”
Replying to a query whether the Army did not want to move out of the counter-insurgency roles, Gen Singh said, “We are losing our officers and men day in and day out. We are not there for fun.
“We are there as the nation wants us to be there. We are not getting fun out of dying. We are there because we are mandated to do so.”
He said it was seen that when the conditions are not good, “no one says anything but whenever things are improving in the counter-insurgency operations, you will find that there is anti-army rhetoric.”
The Army Chief said the force was not in the state for any “army centric” agenda and was performing its tasks in the national interest.
The army, he said, did not want to be involved in internal security operations for very long.
In the recent past, political outfits in the state and its Chief Minister Omar Abdullah have been advocating the removal of the controversial act from some parts of the state but the Army has been in opposition to this demand. (AGENCIES)

NEW DELHI :  Parliament today outright rejected Pakistan National Assembly’s resolution on execution of Afzal Guru, terming it as interference in India’s internal affairs and asked it to desist from such acts of support for extremist and terrorist elements.
Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha passed a resolution asserting that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, including the territory under illegal occupation of Pakistan, “is and shall always be an integral part of India”.
Emphasising that any attempt to interfere in India’s internal affairs will be met “resolutely and with complete unity” of the nation, it asked Pakistan to fulfil its commitment not to allow terrorism from its soil if it wants peaceful relations with India.
“This House totally rejects the Resolution passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan on March 14,2013,” said the resolution adopted unanimously by both the Houses after concern was expressed over the development.
Pakistan’s National Assembly yesterday passed a resolution condemning the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and demanded that his body be returned to his family.
“The House rejects interference in the internal affairs of India and calls upon the National Assembly of Pakistan to desist from such acts of support for extremist and terrorist elements,” the resolution said.
Noting that Pakistan has committed that it would not allow its territory to be used for terrorism against India, the resolution said “only fulfilment of this commitment can be the basis for peaceful relations with Pakistan.”
The resolution was read out by Speaker Meira Kumar in the Lok Sabha and Chairman Hamid Ansari in the Rajya Sabha.
The resolution came in response to concerns expressed by members in both the Houses and demands that there should be a befitting reply to the development.
In the Lok Sabha, senior BJP leader and former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha raised the issue.
“I urge that this House (Lok Sabha) should pass a resolution to give a befitting reply to National Assembly of Pakistan’s resolution,” Sinha said.
He said an attempt has been made to provoke the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said the government was concerned about Pakistan Assembly’s resolution and urged the Speaker to move the resolution, which was later adopted unanimously.
In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley asked the government to reconsider its engagements with Pakistan in light of yesterday’s resolution.
BJP and other Opposition parties demanded a resolution condemning Pakistan’s interference in India’s internal affairs and said there cannot be normalisation of ties with that country after its polity gave stamp of approval on the terror attack on Indian Parliament.
“Besides interfering in India’s internal affairs, the resolution is an official statement by the entire polity of Pakistan endorsing the terrorist attacks,” Jaitley said raising the issue when the House met for the day.
Ravishankar Prasad (BJP) demanded a “structured response” from the government on the issue and termed the resolution passed by Pakistan National Assembly as a “very sinister” resolution. *(AGENCIES)

NEW DELHI :  Rejecting Pakistan Parliament’s resolution on execution of Afzal Guru, Lok Sabha today termed it as interference in India’s internal affairs and told it to desist from such acts of support for extremist and terrorist elements.
The Lok Sabha passed a resolution asserting that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, including the territory under illegal occupation of Pakistan, “is and shall always be an integral part of India”.
It said that any attempt from any quarter to interfere in India’s internal affairs will be met “resolutely and with complete unity” of the nation.
“This House totally rejects the Resolution passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan on March 14,2013,” said the Lok Sabha resolution read out by Speaker Meira Kumar after concern was raised over the development.
Pakistan’s National Assembly yesterday passed a resolution condemning the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and demanded that his body be returned to his family.
“The House rejects interference in the internal affairs of India and calls upon the National Assembly of Pakistan to desist from such acts of support for extremist and terrorist elements,” the Lok Sabha resolution said.
Noting that Pakistan has committed that it would not allow its territory to be used for terrorism against India, the resolution said “only fulfilment of this commitment can be the basis for peaceful relations with Pakistan.”
Earlier, the issue was raised by senior BJP leader and former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha who urged that the Lok Sabha should unanimously give a befitting reply to the resolution passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan.
“I urge that this House (Lok Sabha) should pass a resolution to give a befitting reply to National Assembly of Pakistan’s resolution,” Sinha said.
He said an attempt has been made to provoke the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said the government was concerned about the Pakistan Assembly’s resolution and urged the Speaker to move the resolution, which was later adopted unanimously.
In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley asked the government to reconsider its engagements with Pakistan in light of yesterday’s resolution.
BJP and other Opposition parties demanded a resolution condemning Pakistan’s interference in India’s internal affairs and said there cannot be normalisation of ties with that country after its polity gave stamp of approval on the terror attack on Indian Parliament.
“Besides interfering in India’s internal affairs, the resolution is an official statement by the entire polity of Pakistan endorsing the terrorist attacks,” Jaitley said raising the issue when the House met for the day. (AGENCIES)

KARACHI :  Three persons were killed and six others injured when a bomb went off outside the office of a cable TV network in the Southern Pakistani port city of Karachi today, police said.
The explosive device was planted in a rickshaw parked outside the cable operator’s office in Muzaffarabad Colony of Landhi area.
The bomb was triggered by remote control at about 2 am, police officials said.
The dead and injured were taken to a nearby hospital.
” The bomb disposal squad has confirmed is that it was not a VBIED but a Radio-controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED),” Senior Superintendent of police, Imran Shaukat said.
“According to our information, the perpetrator(s) planted RDIED outside the target building and detonated it as soon as the bomb-planter cleared the explosion zone,” he said.
Police in Karachi also claimed to have shot dead a Taliban operative who was reportedly involved in the killing of Parween Rahman, a well-known social worker, on Wednesday.
The man, identified as Qari Bilal, a top commander of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, was killed during a shootout in Manghopir area, officials said.
They said six more Taliban militants were arrested during raids yesterday.
Officials claimed one of the arrested militants was one of the masterminds behind the bomb attack on Abbas Town, a Shia-dominated area, that killed nearly 50 people. (AGENCIES)

NEW DELHI :  The resolution passed by the Pakistan Parliament on the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru today rocked the Rajya Sabha with the Opposition BJP demanding a statement by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs  Minister Salman Khurshid.
Raising the issue immediately after obituary references to  ex-members Tindivanam G Venkataraman and C O Poulose, Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley said, ”it is an official statement coming from the combined polity of Pakistan. It is an official stamp of approval on the worst terrorist attack (the attack on Parliament) that took place in India.”
Mr Jaitley said, ”The polity of Pakistan had condemned the action of sentencing (of Afzal), the beheading of our soldiers, the bomb blasts in Mumbai and the attack in Srinagar.
”This clearly shows Pakistan’s intentions.”
Calling upon the Government to make their stand clear in the matter, he said, ”We cannot keep on being kicked around. The PM and the External Affairs Minister should make a statement in the  matter.”
Responding to the sentiments of the members, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla said, ”The House is unanimous in agreeing that the Pakistan Parliament should not have passed such a resolution. We condemn it. The Government is ready for a debate on the issue whenever the House wants.”
Later, during the Zero Hour, Deputy Leader of the BJP Ravi Shankar Prasad, raising the matter, said, ”The Leader of the Opposition has raised an important issue about Pakistan Parliament passing a resolution on Afzal’s execution. I want to know when the PM and the External Affairs Minister will make a statement in the  matter.
To which, Mr Shukla said, ”The Leader of Opposition has proposed a structured debate on the issue. The Government will respond to  that.
”I urge the Chair to fix the time for the debate.”
Seeking to pacify the Opposition members, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said, ”The Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs will convey the sentiments of the members to External Affairs Minister.” (AGENCIES)

JAIPUR, Mar 15:  The BJP today demanded suspension of diplomatic ties with Pakistan and ongoing confidence building measures with the neighbouring nation in protest against the Pakistan National Assembly’s resolution on Indian Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
Talking to mediapersons at Jamdoli on the outskirts of the city, Party president Rajnath Singh said “There is no point in having diplomatic relations with Pakistan and hence Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan be called back.”
Expressing his anguish over the Pakistan resolution, the BJP Chief also urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to strongly condemn the resolution.
Since Mr Singh took the stance before the media at the  sidelines of the the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s All India Pratinidhi Sabha, his comments also reflect the Sangh Parivar’s view on the issue.
Mr Singh had reached here on Wednesday evening and since yesterday he has been attending the RSS meet.
The RSS Pratinidhi Sabha was inaugurated formally by Sangh Chief Mohan Bhagwat at the Keshav Vidhyapeeth, Jamdoli.
However, deliberations at forum and other panel levels have been held since March 19.
The meet would conclude on March 17. (AGENCIES)